Apparatus for therapeutic treatment



T..R. N. canoes APPARATUS FOR THERAPEUTIC TREATUBNT Filed Oct. 1'7. 192] 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Doc. 1925- 1.564.552

T. R. N. GERDES APPARATUS FOR THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT Filed Oct. 1'1. 1921 2 Sheets-Shoot 2 o o C D O O 0 o o o lnvenefo'rr 9 only those producin dee er tissues.

Patented Dec. 8, 1925.

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N. GERDEB, OF NEWYOBK, N. Y-'

Arra'aarus roa THERAPEUTIC Tami-em.

Application filed October 17, 1921. semi mfuoam.

T 0 all'whom it may concern: I Y

Be it known that I, THEODORE R. N. Games, a citizen of the United States, residin in' New York, county and State of New ork, have invented a certain Improvement in A paratus for Therapeutic Treatment, of w ich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a form of apparatus adapted to carrying out an 1mproved process of therapeutic treatment, WlllOll recess is described and claimed in my divisional application Serial No. 46772, filed July 29, 1925.

Much study has been given to the effect of various forms of radiant energy u on hysiological functions, and undoubte 1y t e radiations of the general order found in natural sunlight have been those most widely used heretofore. These rays include not light proper-from dark red at one end 0 the spectrum to dark violet at the other-but also the infra-red rays of greater amplitude than the red and the ultra-violet? or chemical rays.

While therehas been much difference of opinion as to the real or fancied therapeutic value of blue, violet and ultra-violet rays, the beneficial effect of the infra-red rays, whose radiant action ischaracterized by the phenomenon of sensible heat, is indisputable. One-principal distinction between the physiolo ical effects of these two classes of rays is t at the former, or high frequency rays affect the surface of the body only, while the low frequency rays penetrate the he principal difliculty in obtaining intensive and eflicient physiological results by the use of radiant energy, more particularly of low frequency, is found in the fact that when applied to a patients body the discomfort increases very rapidly in proportion as the intensity of the radiant energy increases until, lon before the limit of usefulness is reached, t e process becomes too ainful to be borne.

The process of treatment involved in the present invention makes it possible to appl radiantheat to a patients body in muc greater uantitics than have been heretofore practice. le, while reserving the patient from any material iscomfort. The process may be said to involve the ap lication of' thermal rays without a materia production of sensible heat in the patient. 0 state 1t in another way, the process involves a slmulgroscopic condition," stream over the patient.

' viously taneous radiant heating and convective cooling, although this is only a partial state ment of the conditions'thatarise,

. In carrgingout this process, the patients body, eit erstan'din sub ected to an appl mation of heat rays,

preferably not of'. greater frequency than dull red, while at e same time a current.

of constantly renewed or '-fresh air, of

This combined treatment may be applied either to the entire body or .on'l the judgment of the ph sician in charge.

The effect of this combination of operations is that'a de 're'e of radiant heat may be employed which would otherwise be too painful to be practicable; since the rapid stream of relatively cold air carries away the incipient sensible heat oecurrin at the area of 1m ingement of the rays. sipation 0 heat is also doubtless assistedby evaporation from the pores of the skin, WlllCll promptly open under this treatment.

In practice, beneficial results of great value. ave been achieved; and many cases can be cured which will not yield to ordinary thermal treatment. 1

It is oneof the advantages of this in vention that a patients entire body ma be subjected to treatment without distur mg the heat balance and without discomfort lin breathing, since no hot air enters the an s.

he rinciple of the invention can obbe applied in a great variet of ways and b the use of many kinds 0 a piano tus. There is shown and claimed a preferred form of cabinet fOILthlS purpose, adapted to be used in treating the entire body and in the accompanying illustrations F igure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the same for a single patient, Flgure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the same, Figure 3 is an elevation of a preferred radiant element, Figure 4 is a plan ylew of the same, and Figures 5 and 6 are d agrammatic views of modified arrangements for a plurality of patients. v

The treating chamber shown 1n Flgures 1, and 2, has a side wall or walls 10 more or less clrcular in cross section, so arranged as to have an 0 en space near the bottom, as by the use 0 le s 11 which lift the en'- tire wall a, short istance off the ground.

y tocertain parts, within.

lying or sitting, is

suitably comfortable temperature and hy-. is caused to flow in a his diserein OI The top 12'of the cabinet-is preferably conical, as shown, and is surmounted by a turret 13, containing a fan 14, driven by any suitable means, as, for instance, the electric motor 15.

Supported within the wall 10 are sources of radiant heat of low perio dicity which are preferably arranged in vertical rows, as

shown, .the radiant elements in each row being arranged on .a level about half way between the levels of the elements in the next row. This staggered arrangement provides a substantially uniform projection of radiant heat upon the patient, who

should stand or sit at the center of the cabinet. A door 17 is provided whereby the patient may enter the cabinet.

Any appropriate source of the radiant energy described may be used, but I prefer electric heaters, and have found the form shown indetail in Figures 3 and 4 to be practical and convenient. These elements comprise a tube of refractory insulating material 18 surrounded by resistance wire 19 coiled around them. They, are preferably heaters as distinguished from lamps,

although the latter would be within the broad invention. 7

The whole is supported by the ends of the coils which are brought out and clamped in a. well known manner to metal brackets 20, These. brackets are held on the wall 10 by suitably insulated connections 21, whereby they are electrically connected with leads 22, 23, which supply the heating current.

I prefer to place suitable reflectors be-.

hind the radiant elements, whereby all the heat is directed toward the center of the cabinet. These preferably take the form of long upri ht sheet metal reflectors 190, which exten along the cabinet wall behind each vertical row of radiant elements.

In operation, the patient is placed at the center of the cabinet, and, current having been applied to as many of the radiant elements as suit the case, the fan 14 is started so as to drive a current of cool air down ward into the cabinet and out-atthe bottom. In order that this current may be suitably diffused, over and around the patients body,

baflle plates 24 are preferably supplied immediately under the fan. These breakup and distribute the current of air ina well known manner.

tially uniform eifects over the bodies of a plurality of atients, placed at A, B, C and D respective y. 'In Figure 5 the arrangement of the vertical rows is that adapted for two patients, while the arrangement indicated in Figure 6 is appropriate to the treatment of four people.

Various changes may be made in'the device described without departing from the scope of my invention, and I do not limit myself to the details herein set forth and,

illustrated.

' What I claim is 1. A therapeutic apparatus comprising a chamber for holding a patient, means for directing. radiant heat against the patients body while within said chamber and means for directing a stream of cooling air over the parts of the patients body so heated.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a treating chamber having a: conical roof with a turret at its apex forming an inlet passage, a fan in said passage, bafiles be low said fan adapted to spread the air currents, and hightemperature radiant heat elements arranged on the wall of-thechamber, whereby a body enclosed within said chamber will be. simultaneously subjected to radiant heat and convecting cooling,

In testimony whereof "I have hereto set my hand on this 15th'day' of October 1921.

A Time. a. N. canons. 

